Research

The business relationships between shippers and shipping lines are under tremendous pressure these days, given the huge structural change going on in the liner carrier industry and dampened trade growth in 2016. With a new presidential administration taking the helm in early 2017, shifting carrier alliances, and the potential for more M&A activity, the spotlight on the United States’ body responsible for regulating the shipping industry has never been brighter. ...

Retailers have cited increased supply chain visibility and reduced freight spend as the primary benefits of business intelligence tools, according to new research from American Shipper . However, a new study released Wednesday, You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure: Supply Chain Analytics Benchmark Study, also found that while 65 percent of retailer respondents see visibility as a primary benefit of analytics, only 47 percent of retailers are actually using analytics for visib...

Shippers track more freight milestones than they need to and third-party logistics companies (3PLs) have little understanding of what it costs to provide visibility to their customers, according to new groundbreaking research from American Shipper . A new report, A Clear View of Supply Chain: Visibility Benchmark Study , finds that nearly two-thirds of shippers are using their visibility tool to track five or more milestones but nearly three-quarters say fewer than five mileston...

In a sign of e-commerce’s increasing importance to world trade, AFEX, a non-bank provider of global payment and risk management solutions, said this week that 46 percent of the 500 companies they surveyed plan to use international payments more this year than in 2015. The companies surveyed are North American small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and corporations involved in international commerce, and nearly 30 percent said they plan to start using an online automated internation...

BlueWater Reporting tracks terminal data for services operated by major carriers and has released a report detailing all services on which Hanjin Shipping operated at the time of its insolvency filing in South Korea Aug. 31. The report includes the ports called on each service, and in most cases, the terminal being used at the time of the filing. The report is free to corporate licensees of BlueWater Reporting and can be downloaded here or it can be purchased as a s...

Overall capacity in the major east-west trades dropped in the third quarter of 2016 after experiencing a boost heading into peak season at the close of the second quarter. The Asia to East Coast North America trade was the only one to maintain positive growth during the third quarter as capacity dropped in the transpacific trade between Asia and the West Coast of North America, as well as the Asia-North Europe and transatlantic trades. A large portion of the third quarter decrease was a...

Hanjin Shipping’s plunge into receivership has caused a great deal of chaos for non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOs) around the world, but it appears some NVOs saw the writing on the wall prior to August. According to import statistics provided to American Shipper by the trade data provider Datamyne, a number of major NVOs all but pulled their U.S. import volume from Hanjin sailings prior to August, while some other NVOs doubled down on their use of the troubled Sout...

Hanjin Shipping’s plunge into receivership has caused a great deal of chaos for non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOs) around the world, but it appears some NVOs saw the writing on the wall prior to August. According to import statistics provided to American Shipper by the trade data provider Datamyne, a number of major NVOs all but pulled their U.S. import volume from Hanjin sailings prior to August, while some other NVOs doubled down on their use of the troubled South Kor...

More than 72 percent of beneficial cargo owners and ocean intermediaries surveyed by American Shipper Thursday and Friday said they currently have cargo aboard vessels belonging to the beleaguered liner carrier Hanjin Shipping. The South Korean shipping line filed for receivership Wednesday, setting off pandemonium in global container trades. Reports of soaring spot market rates on both the transpacific and Asia-Europe trades were widespread, and more worryingly, vessels are bei...

A total of 47 percent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom anticipate no disruptive impact from the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, according to a survey conducted by CitySprint, a same day delivery company in the UK. The UK voted on June 23 to leave the European Union, with 52 percent of voters in favor of the so-called Brexit and 48 percent of voters wanting to remain in the EU. CitySprint’s survey revealed that only 14 percent o...

Shippers and freight forwarders are unclear how to comply with a fast-approaching mandate to verify the weights of containers prior to loading on vessels, according to new research from American Shipper . A new report released Tuesday, " Weighing on an Industry: Shipper, NVO, and Carrier Perspectives on VGM ," found that nearly three-quarters of shippers and forwarders believe they will have containers held when the new mandate kicks in July 1. What’s more, the vast majority of ...

Freight transportation decisions are often walled off from other parts of a company’s supply chain, a reality transportation and logistics practitioners face every day. But it’s also true that for many shippers, global transportation procurement occurs in a silo away from other transportation decisions. Procurement is a periodic, episodic process that is often influenced as much by circumstantial or relationship-based dynamics as by systematic or data-driven ones. In a...

After a relatively stable third quarter, overall container capacity in the major east-west trades fell across the board in the fourth quarter of 2014. The G6 Alliance surpassed the CKYHE Alliance in terms of market share by weekly allocated capacity in the westbound Asia-North Europe trade lane, though both still trail the combined capacity of 2M vessel-sharing agreement partners Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC). In addition, the pending 2M VSA wrestled the top spot away from...

Two months after Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. joined forces to form the 2M vessel-sharing agreement, following the denial of regulatory approval for the proposed P3 Network due to antitrust concerns, the last of the former three P3 members—French carrier CMA CGM—has moved on as well. CMA CGM announced Sept. 9 that it has signed three agreements with CSCL and UASC, dubbed the “Ocean Three,” on the Asia-Europe, transpacific and transatlantic trades. Expected to star...

Despite attempts by the U.S. government to streamline export regulation and stoke growth of exported goods, it remains a tricky and evolving process. This year’s report takes a deeper look at how exporters are managing their export documentation in the wake of the latest AES deadlines last year. This report, co-produced with BPE Global and AAEI, also continues our examination of the level of involvement export practitioners have in strategic areas like new markets and mergers and acquisitions, as ...

American Shipper and BPE Global have been benchmarking import supply chains for six years – no one has a better handle on the innate complexities facing import transportation and compliance teams. This year’s study captures the extent to which advances in sophistication and technology deployment are being offset by increased external complexity. Importer seem to be forever chasing a moving target. From late March through late May 2014, 250 qualified respondents participated in a 27-question benchmarking...

Only a few weeks after the termination of the P3 Network due to antitrust concerns, two of the former three P3 members have moved on to “plan B,” as Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. announced July 10 that they plan to enter a 10-year vessel-sharing agreement (VSA), dubbed 2M, on the Asia-Europe, transatlantic and transpacific trades. Expected to start in early 2015, contingent upon approvals from relevant regulatory authorities, 2M will include 21 services with 185 vessels a...

Overall capacity in the major east-west trades increased across the board in the second quarter of 2014 compared to the first quarter. The newly formed CKYHE Alliance made its presence felt in the eastbound transpacific and westbound Asia-North Europe trade lanes, surpassing its closest competitor, the G6 Alliance, in market share. The member carriers of the recently rejected P3 continue to fight for their share as single entities, according to the latest quarterly "World Liner ...

To download this report you must be an American Shipper Permium Global Subscriber, a BlueWater Reporting Individual Subscriber or a BlueWater Reporting Corporate Subscriber or you may purchase the report directly by visiting http://www.bluewaterreporting.com/CKYHEAllianceImplications The CKYH Alliance of ocean liner carriers, which is comprised of China -owned COSCO Container Lines, Hanjin Shipping of South Korea, Taiwan-based Yang Ming, and “K” Line of Japan, announced in...

American Shipper , in partnership with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), surveyed nearly 190 shippers and third party logistics providers on their freight payment procedures, strategies, global integration, and technology. This year’s report picks up where last year’s left off, focusing on the crucial interplay between the role that logistics and finance play in the development of an automated freight pay process, as wel...

Surprised by China’s decision to block the P3 Alliance’s proposal? So was most of the shipping world. Tune in to this 35-minutes podcast to hear American Shipper and BlueWater Reporting staff weigh in on this momentous decision. We explore some of the crucial questions left unanswered, where Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM go from here, and what it means for you, the shippers. Topics include: Why did China’s Ministry of Commerce block the P3? What does it mean for the P3 carriers, th...

American Shipper , in partnership with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), surveyed more than 200 shippers and third party logistics providers about their global transportation management processes, visibility, and technology. This sixth annual study examines, in particular, how shippers and 3PLs view the bottom line benefits of visibility, the roadblocks in managing visibility and global transportation management systems, and ...

Clients of the Export-Import Bank of the United States say the bank is doing its job, and improving their ease of business, according to survey results released Monday by the bank. In the survey of more that 2,100 small business customers, the bank said, 95 percent would recommend Ex-Im Bank’s services to another exporter, and 86 percent noted they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their Ex-Im Bank experience. "Maximizing customer engagement and providing ...

The Trucking Conditions Index from analyst FTR rose steeply in March, “reflecting the extremely tight capacity in the truckload sector.” The index rose more than a point, to 8.69, with FTR projecting that capacity will stay tight for the remainder of 2014. “There is a possibility for some relief of the tight truckload capacity over the next few months if freight growth slows as expected in the second quarter,” FTR said. “The stressed supply situation of today is cau...

The logistics security services firm FreightWatch International said in the first quarter of 2014 that it recorded a total of 206 full-truckload cargo theft incidents in the United States, with 82 thefts in January, 46 in February and 78 in March. The average loss value per incident during the quarter was $207,982. Compared with Q1-13, these results represent a 4.9 percent decrease in volume, which, it said, was "well within the margin of incidents expected to filter in through...

Air freight was up 5.9 percent in March compared to the previous year, and capacity was also up 3.4 percent, according to information released Monday by the International Air Transport Association. IATA noted that business conditions in the United States and Europe provide “a reason to be cautiously optimistic for a resumption of growth in the months ahead.” It added that rising export orders in those markets was one reason for an upswing. “Cargo marke...

The rating agency Moody’s said it has revised its outlook for the global shipping industry to stable from negative, reflecting its expectation that the shipping industry’s aggregate earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) will rise by mid-single digits in percentage terms year-over-year in 2014. Moody’s said it had seen the shipping industry as having a negative outlook since June 2011. “While overcapacity remains a concern, we believe ...

A new paper from the World Trade Organization suggests there is a distinct possibility that countries will form into mega-regional trading blocs in the next two decades. The paper, “ Simulating world trade in the decades ahead: driving forces and policy implications ,” attempts to project how the global economy will function through 2035. The primary objective of the research was to attempt to establish which current trends in trade are expected to continue and to what extent i...

To download this report you must be an American Shipper Global Schedule Subscriber, a BlueWater Reporting Individual Subscriber or a BlueWater Reporting Corporate Subscriber or you may purchase the report directly by visiting http://www.bluewaterreporting.com/MaerskSeaLandReportAnalysis A new report from the BlueWater Reporting team suggests there is much more to Maersk’s plan to reintroduce the SeaLand brand name than simply as a vehicle for marketing its intra-American s...

Each day, transportation procurement becomes a more complex process to manage, and yet shippers and logistics companies have a bevy of emerging tools to handle this vital task. American Shipper , in partnership with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), surveyed roughly 230 transportation buyers on procurement practices, processes, technologies and results. Key issues addressed in this study include: Transportation sp...

To download this report you must be an American Shipper Global Schedule Subscriber, a BlueWater Reporting Individual Subscriber or a BlueWater Reporting Corporate Subscriber or you may purchase the report directly by visiting http://www.bluewaterreporting.com/G6TATPAnalysis The G6 Alliance of liner carriers, which includes Singapore-owned APL; Japan's NYK Line and MOL; HMM of South Korea; Hong Kong-based OOCL; and Hapag-Lloyd of Germany, has announced port rotations for a ...

World Trade Organization economists expect global trade to grow by 4.7 percent in 2014 and 5.3 percent in 2015, the WTO said this week. Although the 2014 forecast of 4.7 percent is more than double the 2.1 percent increase of last year, it remains below the 20-year average of 5.3 percent, the organization noted. For the past two years, growth has averaged only 2.2 percent. The WTO said the sluggish pace of trade growth in 2013 was due to a combination of flat impor...

The investment bank Stifel said Monday it expects to see “pricing momentum” in the second quarter for less-than-truckload carriers as the industry enters the “seasonally strong” second quarter. In a note on the LTL market, Stifel’s transportation and logistics group said pricing rose in the range of 3 to 4 percent in the first quarter, relative to the final quarter of 2013. “At our February conference, there was talk of a reaccelerating pricing environment but still...

Shippers should prepare for longer transit times and more frequent use of skipped sailings or "blank voyages" by container carriers, according to recent research. BlueWater Reporting tracks skipped sailings globally on a week-to-week basis of all inter-regional services, and skipped vessel capacity has been running ahead of levels from a year ago. Hayes Howard, chief executive officer of BlueWater Reporting said, "Carriers are pulling sailings more frequently as one...

The nation’s two largest ports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, should collaborate by combining into a single entity, according to a recommendation in a report issued by an independent private commission studying fiscal stability and job growth in Los Angeles. “Regional cooperation is a no-brainer, especially when it comes to tourism and ports -- two big job creators in our region,” said the Los Angeles 2020 Commission in a report entitled “A Time for Action” that was issued Wednesd...

Overall capacity in the major east-west trades was mostly stagnant in the first quarter of 2014, with the exception of the eastbound transpacific, which fell for the second straight quarter, while the member carriers of the G6, P3 and newly-formed CKYHE alliances continued to jockey for market share, according to the latest quarterly World Liner Supply Report from BlueWater Reporting. The only significant change among the three major east-west trades came in the eastbound transp...

This year's outlook for the container shipping industry is "bleak" and publicly-listed global container shipping companies “face a greater risk of financial distress, including possible bankruptcy, than at any time since 2010," according to the global business-advisory firm AlixPartners, which Tuesday released a new study titled “Change on the Horizon: The 2014 Container Shipping Outlook.” The firm said the container industry’s problems stem from both sluggish demand as well as...

Global transportation and logistics mergers and acquisitions rose by 57 percent in the fourth quarter, while the value of those deals increased by 100 percent, according to a study by PwC US. The firm, which publishes a quarterly analysis of mergers, said there were 66 transportation and logistics transactions deals worth $50 million or more in the fourth quarter, which totaled $23.2 billion. Third-quarter deals in 2013 were worth $10.7 billion. “As momentum picked ...

CSX saw a $3 billion increase in revenue during the fourth quarter, a 5-percent rise when compared to the in the same period in 2012, which helped the carrier end 2013 with $12 billion in total revenue, according to the company’s earnings release issued Wednesday. Total volume for the fourth quarter of 2013 was 1.66 million units, up from 1.57 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012. "Supported by the strength of an expanding economy, we delivered 6-percent volu...

The manufacturing sector gained strength in the fourth quarter of 2013, with retail demand remaining sluggish, according to the investment banking firm Stifel Nicolaus. In a report issued Tuesday, the company highlighted its findings for the quarter, and concluded that energy-related, automotive and construction-related freight remains strong. It also found that grain traffic is on the rebound, and coal volumes continue to decline due to swollen stockpiles. &nb...

American Shipper , in partnership with the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), surveyed more than 350 shippers and third party logistics providers about their global transportation management technology, global footprint, and data quality. This fifth annual study examines, in particular, how shippers and 3PLs define visibility, the quality of the data that underlies that visibility, and the degree to which their global transportation management platform covers global growth. Key themes include: ...

A decade ago CFOs took aim at their supply chains to reduce inventory levels and take cost out. With inventory levels near historic lows the finance department is now chasing other opportunities to reduce costs and increase cash flow. However, American Shipper's research demonstrates that many shippers have achieved mixed results working with finance. This one-hour interactive discussion will explore the challenges and benefits of collaboration and best practices for establishing a productive working re...

American Shipper Research Director Eric Johnson will host an interactive discussion with Philip Damas and Martin Dixon of Drewry Supply Chain Advisors. The presentation will draw on airfreight pricing data published in its Sea & Air Shipper Insight, container shipping rates published in its Container Freight Rate Insight and the World Container Index. Key discussion points will include: Freight rate volatility & associated drivers across both air and container shipping modes. Recent a...

American Shipper 's publisher, Jim Blaeser will host an interactive discussion with Walter Kemmsies, chief economist for Moffatt & Nichol, about emerging dynamics that will impact domestic and international freight markets in the years ahead. Key discussion points will include: Economic outlook on key freight transportation modes The impact of the shift from diesel to natural gas The emergence of multi-channel retailing Various scenarios for the future of freight Kemmsies is a highly-regarded e...

Governments around the world are actively establishing new trade regulations, which their customs authorities must implement and enforce. Meanwhile, shippers are serving increasingly complex networks of both mature and emerging markets, where they run up against an increasing number of regulatory changes. Global shippers need to understand these regulatory changes stay compliant, avoid costly delays and mitigate supply chain disruptions. To help keep pace with these complex demands, our expert panelists...

American shippers are juggling more responsibility as they source from and sell to a growing number of geographic regions. What they may not realize is that their exposure to compliance risk might be growing as quickly as their supply chains expand. The greatest vulnerabilities to risk often lie in emerging markets, according to benchmark indices that measure corruption. In particular, recent increased enforcement of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) should give global shippers cause for con...

The supply chain management career has come of age. Accordingly, a growing number of targeted degree programs have been established to educate the next generation of industry leaders. For many applicants making sense of these relatively new options for personal and professional growth can be intimidating and complex. This one-hour, interactive discussion will help you understand how to assess the value supply chain education presents to you and your organization. Key discussion points will include: Logi...

American Shipper's research director, Eric Johnson, will host an interactive discussion with David Ross, managing director of global transportation and logistics for Stifel. Ross' presentation will cover the key trends driving the domestic transportation market in 2013 and look ahead at the challenges and opportunities in the balance of the year. Key discussion points will include: Expectations for continued slow growth in the U.S. economic and freight environments. Will pending trucking regulations squ...

The ocean freight invoicing and payment process remains firmly rooted in a bygone era. Transactions are still overwhelmingly reliant on paper invoices and mailed checks, which can result in expensive inefficiencies, high dispute rates, and slow payment. What’s more, there’s little in the way of standardization across the two dozen or so major ocean carriers, meaning shippers and their intermediaries have to account for different formats with each of their lines. This 60-minute interactive discussion wil...

American Shipper surveyed more than 250 shippers and third party logistics providers on their transportation payment and auditing practices and technologies. This year’s report delves into new areas, including the interaction between shippers’ logistics operations and finance departments, and whether shippers and 3PLs are using their payment data in the broader procure-to-pay process. Key Focus Areas Include: Manual vs. automated processes Domestic vs. international payment Payment terms Auditing ...

The increasing volume and complexity of global trade has placed demands on global trade managers that are amplified by broadened regulations affecting that trade. Governments are writing expanded rules and enforcing them with unprecedented vigor. But GTM is about more than just compliance – it’s about integrating the financial, regulatory, and transportation components of a supply chain through enhanced processes and the best people. The report explores five challenges universal to global trade manageme...

A shoe manufacturer knows that when sales for its products slow in winter, it needs to reduce production capacity. That could involve temporarily closing a production line for a time, removing a shift, or just slowing the speed of production. All tools to help match output to demand. Ocean carriers have the same problem: how to manage capacity to bring it in line with demand. And their problems are exacerbated by a requirement to best utilize the new super-efficient “factories” (i.e. large vessels) bein...

A bevy of regulations is due to hit the trucking industry just as the carriers are finding it more difficult to find and retain qualified drivers. Additionally, analysts predict an uptick in U.S. GDP could create a demand spike for truckload and less-than-truckload services. These dual forces have the potential to create a significant driver shortage. A host of questions are left to be answered: How might this shortage affect shippers? What is the status of regulations affecting the trucking industry? H...

Archive copy now available for download. American Shipper research shows global shippers are being challenged to integrate domestic and international logistics operations. For many shippers, particularly those leveraging multiple modes, this initiative requires major changes to business processes, organizational structure, and IT systems. It is clear there are many hurdles in integrating these classically disparate operations. This one-hour discussion will focus on the market forces causing this trend, ...

Welcome to the seventh instalment of American Shipper ’s yearlong countdown of the top 12 non-vessel-operating common carriers for U.S. inbound containerized cargo. Using data provided to American Shipper by the trade intelligence firm Zepol Corp., we’ll take a closer look at each of these companies in terms of where their cargo originates, where in the United States it’s destined, which liner carriers they use, and how their volumes have trended quarter to quarter. &nbsp...

The U.S. domestic trucking market is finely poised, with characteristics that could push it into no growth or capacity shortage, depending on which way the wind blows, according to Noel Perry, senior consultant of the transportation analyst FTR Associates. Perry and fellow senior consultant Larry Gross gave a rundown of rail, trucking, and intermodal markets in FTR’s State of Freight webinar last week. “We need to think about the relationship between truck freight ...

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said mariners along the U.S. East Coast can now download a new iPad and iPhone application that warns them when they enter areas of high risk of collision with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The free Whale Alert app provides one source for information about right whale management measures and the latest data about right whale detections, all overlaid on NOAA digital charts. Fede...